22 He draweth H4900 also the mighty H47 with his power: H3581 he riseth up, H6965 and no man is sure H539 of life. H2416
Then H116 the presidents H5632 and princes H324 sought H1934 H1156 to find H7912 occasion H5931 against Daniel H1841 concerning H6655 the kingdom; H4437 but H3606 they could H3202 find H7912 none H3809 occasion H5931 nor H3809 fault; H7844 forasmuch H6903 as he was faithful, H540 neither H3809 was there any H3606 error H7960 or fault H7844 found H7912 in him. H5922 Then H116 said H560 these H479 men, H1400 We shall not H3809 find H7912 any H3606 occasion H5931 against H5922 this H1836 Daniel, H1841 except H3861 we find H7912 it against him concerning the law H1882 of his God. H426 Then H116 these H459 presidents H5632 and princes H324 assembled together H7284 to the king, H4430 and said H560 thus H3652 unto him, H5922 King H4430 Darius, H1868 live H2418 for ever. H5957 All H3606 the presidents H5632 of the kingdom, H4437 the governors, H5460 and the princes, H324 the counsellors, H1907 and the captains, H6347 have consulted together H3272 to establish H6966 a royal H4430 statute, H7010 and to make a firm H8631 decree, H633 that whosoever shall ask H1156 a petition H1159 of H4481 any H3606 God H426 or man H606 for H5705 thirty H8533 days, H3118 save H3861 of thee, H4481 O king, H4430 he shall be cast H7412 into the den H1358 of lions. H744 Now, H3705 O king, H4430 establish H6966 the decree, H633 and sign H7560 the writing, H3792 that it be not H3809 changed, H8133 according to the law H1882 of the Medes H4076 and Persians, H6540 which altereth H5709 not. H3809 Wherefore H3606 H1836 H6903 king H4430 Darius H1868 signed H7560 the writing H3792 and the decree. H633
And Haman H2001 said H559 unto king H4428 Ahasuerus, H325 There is H3426 a certain H259 people H5971 scattered abroad H6340 and dispersed H6504 among the people H5971 in all the provinces H4082 of thy kingdom; H4438 and their laws H1881 are diverse H8138 from all people; H5971 neither keep H6213 they the king's H4428 laws: H1881 therefore it is not for the king's H4428 profit H7737 to suffer H3240 them. If it please H2895 the king, H4428 let it be written H3789 that they may be destroyed: H6 and I will pay H8254 ten H6235 thousand H505 talents H3603 of silver H3701 to the hands H3027 of those that have the charge H6213 of the business, H4399 to bring H935 it into the king's H4428 treasuries. H1595 And the king H4428 took H5493 his ring H2885 from his hand, H3027 and gave H5414 it unto Haman H2001 the son H1121 of Hammedatha H4099 the Agagite, H91 the Jews' H3064 enemy. H6887
And from G1537 thenceforth G5127 Pilate G4091 sought G2212 to release G630 him: G846 but G1161 the Jews G2453 cried out, G2896 saying, G3004 If G1437 thou let G630 this man G5126 go, G630 thou art G1488 not G3756 Caesar's G2541 friend: G5384 whosoever G3956 maketh G4160 himself G846 a king G935 speaketh against G483 Caesar. G2541 When Pilate G4091 therefore G3767 heard G191 that G5126 saying, G3056 he brought G71 Jesus G2424 forth, G1854 and G2532 sat down G2523 in G1909 the judgment seat G968 in G1519 a place G5117 that is called G3004 the Pavement, G3038 but G1161 in the Hebrew, G1447 Gabbatha. G1042 And G1161 it was G2258 the preparation G3904 of the passover, G3957 and G1161 about G5616 the sixth G1623 hour: G5610 and G2532 he saith G3004 unto the Jews, G2453 Behold G2396 your G5216 King! G935 But G1161 they cried out, G2905 Away with G142 him, away with G142 him, crucify G4717 him. G846 Pilate G4091 saith G3004 unto them, G846 Shall I crucify G4717 your G5216 King? G935 The chief priests G749 answered, G611 We have G2192 no G3756 king G935 but G1508 Caesar. G2541 Then G5119 delivered he G3860 him G846 therefore G3767 unto them G846 to G2443 be crucified. G4717 And G1161 they took G3880 Jesus, G2424 and G2532 led him away. G520
And G2532 I saw G1492 three G5140 unclean G169 spirits G4151 like G3664 frogs G944 come out of G1537 the mouth G4750 of the dragon, G1404 and G2532 out of G1537 the mouth G4750 of the beast, G2342 and G2532 out of G1537 the mouth G4750 of the false prophet. G5578 For G1063 they are G1526 the spirits G4151 of devils, G1142 working G4160 miracles, G4592 which go forth G1607 G3739 G1607 unto G1909 the kings G935 of the earth G1093 and G2532 of the whole G3650 world, G3625 to gather G4863 them G846 to G1519 the battle G4171 of that G1565 great G3173 day G2250 of God G2316 Almighty. G3841
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 24
Commentary on Job 24 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 24
Job 24:1-25.
1. Why is it that, seeing that the times of punishment (Eze 30:3; "time" in the same sense) are not hidden from the Almighty, they who know Him (His true worshippers, Job 18:21) do not see His days (of vengeance; Joe 1:15; 2Pe 3:10)? Or, with Umbreit less simply, making the parallel clauses more nicely balanced, Why are not times of punishment hoarded up ("laid up"; Job 21:19; appointed) by the Almighty? that is, Why are they not so appointed as that man may now see them? as the second clause shows. Job does not doubt that they are appointed: nay, he asserts it (Job 21:30); what he wishes is that God would let all now see that it is so.
2-24. Instances of the wicked doing the worst deeds with seeming impunity (Job 24:2-24).
Some—the wicked.
landmarks—boundaries between different pastures (De 19:14; Pr 22:28).
3. pledge—alluding to Job 22:6. Others really do, and with impunity, that which Eliphaz falsely charges the afflicted Job with.
4. Literally, they push the poor out of their road in meeting them. Figuratively, they take advantage of them by force and injustice (alluding to the charge of Eliphaz, Job 22:8; 1Sa 8:3).
poor—in spirit and in circumstances (Mt 5:3).
hide—from the injustice of their oppressors, who have robbed them of their all and driven them into unfrequented places (Job 20:19; 30:3-6; Pr 28:28).
5. wild asses—(Job 11:12). So Ishmael is called a "wild ass-man"; Hebrew (Ge 16:12). These Bedouin robbers, with the unbridled wildness of the ass of the desert, go forth thither. Robbery is their lawless "work." The desert, which yields no food to other men, yields food for the robber and his children by the plunder of caravans.
rising betimes—In the East travelling is begun very early, before the heat comes on.
6. Like the wild asses (Job 24:5) they (these Bedouin robbers) reap (metaphorically) their various grain (so the Hebrew for "corn" means). The wild ass does not let man pile his mixed provender up in a stable (Isa 30:24); so these robbers find their food in the open air, at one time in the desert (Job 24:5), at another in the fields.
the vintage of the wicked—Hebrew, "the wicked gather the vintage"; the vintage of robbery, not of honest industry. If we translate "belonging to the wicked," then it will imply that the wicked alone have vineyards, the "pious poor" (Job 24:4) have none. "Gather" in Hebrew, is "gather late." As the first clause refers to the early harvest of corn, so the second to the vintage late in autumn.
7. Umbreit understands it of the Bedouin robbers, who are quite regardless of the comforts of life, "They pass the night naked, and uncovered," &c. But the allusion to Job 22:6, makes the English Version preferable (see on Job 24:10). Frost is not uncommon at night in those regions (Ge 31:40).
8. They—the plundered travellers.
embrace the rock—take refuge under it (La 4:5).
9. from the breast—of the widowed mother. Kidnapping children for slaves. Here Job passes from wrongs in the desert to those done among the habitations of men.
pledge—namely, the garment of the poor debtor, as Job 24:10 shows.
10. (See on Job 22:6). In Job 24:7 a like sin is alluded to: but there he implies open robbery of garments in the desert; here, the more refined robbery in civilized life, under the name of a "pledge." Having stripped the poor, they make them besides labor in their harvest-fields and do not allow them to satisfy their hunger with any of the very corn which they carry to the heap. Worse treatment than that of the ox, according to De 25:4. Translate: "they (the poor laborers) hungering carry the sheaves" [Umbreit].
11. Which—"They," the poor, "press the oil within their wall"; namely, not only in the open fields (Job 24:10), but also in the wall-enclosed vineyards and olive gardens of the oppressor (Isa 5:5). Yet they are not allowed to quench their "thirst" with the grapes and olives. Here, thirsty; Job 24:10, hungry.
12. Men—rather, "mortals" (not the common Hebrew for "men"); so the Masoretic vowel points read as English Version. But the vowel points are modern. The true reading is, "The dying," answering to "the wounded" in the next clause, so Syriac. Not merely in the country (Job 24:11), but also in the city there are oppressed sufferers, who cry for help in vain. "From out of the city"; that is, they long to get forth and be free outside of it (Ex 1:11; 2:23).
wounded—by the oppressor (Eze 30:24).
layeth not folly—takes no account of (by punishing) their sin ("folly" in Scripture; Job 1:22). This is the gist of the whole previous list of sins (Ac 17:30). Umbreit with Syriac reads by changing a vowel point, "Regards not their supplication."
13. So far as to openly committed sins; now, those done in the dark. Translate: "There are those among them (the wicked) who rebel," &c.
light—both literal and figurative (Joh 3:19, 20; Pr 2:13).
paths thereof—places where the light shines.
14. with the light—at early dawn, while still dark, when the traveller in the East usually sets out, and the poor laborer to his work; the murderous robber lies in wait then (Ps 10:8).
is as a thief—Thieves in the East steal while men sleep at night; robbers murder at early dawn. The same man who steals at night, when light dawns not only robs, but murders to escape detection.
15. (Pr 7:9; Ps 10:11).
disguiseth—puts a veil on.
16. dig through—Houses in the East are generally built of sun-dried mud bricks (so Mt 6:19). "Thieves break through," literally, "dig through" (Eze 12:7).
had marked—Rather, as in Job 9:7, "They shut themselves up" (in their houses); literally, "they seal up."
for themselves—for their own ends, namely, to escape detection.
know not—shun.
17. They shrink from the "morning" light, as much as other men do from the blackest darkness ("the shadow of death").
if one know—that is, recognize them. Rather, "They know well (are familiar with) the terrors of," &c. [Umbreit]. Or, as Maurer, "They know the terrors of (this) darkness," namely, of morning, the light, which is as terrible to them as darkness ("the shadow of death") is to other men.
18-21. In these verses Job quotes the opinions of his adversaries ironically; he quoted them so before (Job 21:7-21). In Job 24:22-24, he states his own observation as the opposite. You say, "The sinner is swift, that is, swiftly passes away (as a thing floating) on the surface of the waters" (Ec 11:1; Ho 10:7).
is cursed—by those who witness their "swift" destruction.
beholdeth not—"turneth not to"; figuratively, for He cannot enjoy his pleasant possessions (Job 20:17; 15:33).
the way of the vineyards—including his fields, fertile as vineyards; opposite to "the way of the desert."
19. Arabian image; melted snow, as contrasted with the living fountain, quickly dries up in the sunburnt sand, not leaving a trace behind (Job 6:16-18). The Hebrew is terse and elliptical to express the swift and utter destruction of the godless; (so) "the grave—they have sinned!"
20. The womb—The very mother that bare him, and who is the last to "forget" the child that sucked her (Isa 49:15), shall dismiss him from her memory (Job 18:17; Pr 10:7). The worm shall suck, that is, "feed sweetly" on him as a delicate morsel (Job 21:33).
wickedness—that is, the wicked; abstract for concrete (as Job 5:16).
as a tree—utterly (Job 19:10); Umbreit better, "as a staff." A broken staff is the emblem of irreparable ruin (Isa 14:5; Ho 4:12).
21. The reason given by the friends why the sinner deserves such a fate.
barren—without sons, who might have protected her.
widow—without a husband to support her.
22-25. Reply of Job to the opinion of the friends. Experience proves the contrary. Translate: "But He (God) prolongeth the life of (literally, draweth out at length; Ps 36:10, Margin) the mighty with His (God's) power. He (the wicked) riseth up (from his sick bed) although he had given up hope of (literally, when he no longer believed in) life" (De 28:66).
23. Literally, "He (God omitted, as often; Job 3:20; Ec 9:9; reverentially) giveth to him (the wicked, to be) in safety, or security."
yet—Job means, How strange that God should so favor them, and yet have His eyes all the time open to their wicked ways (Pr 15:3; Ps 73:4)!
24. Job repeats what he said (Job 21:13), that sinners die in exalted positions, not the painful and lingering death we might expect, but a quick and easy death. Join "for a while" with "are gone," not as English Version. Translate: "A moment—and they are no more! They are brought low, as all (others) gather up their feet to die" (so the Hebrew of "are taken out of the way"). A natural death (Ge 49:33).
ears of corn—in a ripe and full age, not prematurely (Job 5:26).
25. (So Job 9:24).